An official report says the bill for switching to clean energy will rise sharply – and puts forward a slower, ‘falling behind” alternative

The cost of hitting net zero targets has been laid bare by the UK’s energy system operator, showing a surge in spending over the coming years.

But investing in clean generation projects, distribution networks and replacing fossil fuel cars and boilers could be many billions of pounds cheaper if the UK was less ambitious, according to Thursday’s report. The downside would be that the benefits, which include far lower energy costs, would be delayed.